lynde



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F: O. LYNDE. PORTABLE TABLE 0R DESK.

No. 425.814. PaJtentedAp1z15, 1890.

' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

F. 0. LYNDE.

PORTABLE TABLE OH DESK.

My No. 425,814. Patte d Apr. 15, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

FREDERICK O. LYNDE, OF MANCHESTER, COUNTY OF LANCASTER, ENGLAND.

PORTABLE TABLE OR DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,814, dated April15, 1890. Application filed October 23, 1889- Serial No. 327,888. (Nomodel.)

To 0% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK CHARLES LYNDE, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain and Ireland, residing at Manchester, in the county ofLancaster, England, have invented an Improved Portable Table or Desk, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Myinvention consists, principally, in so constructing a portable tableor desk that it may be either directly or indirectly attached,connected, or applied to the arm or wrist (or both) of the personwishing to use such table or desk in such a way that the vibration ormotion experienced when traveling in a railway or other carriage or in asteamboat or other conveyance may be communicated equally, or nearly so,to the arm and hand of the person and .to the table or desk itself, sothat the two always move simultaneously and in the same direction, thusenabling the user to write more legibly and easily and to avoid theirregularities which would otherwise be inevitable.

Such being the nature and object of my said invention, I will nowproceed to explain the manner in which the same is to be performed orcarried into practical effect; and in order that the same may be clearlyunderstood I have annexed hereunto two sheets of drawings illustrativethereof, and have marked the same with figures and letters of referencecorresponding with those in the following explanation thereof.

Figure 1 on the drawings illustrates a simple form of my improvedportable table or desk, and Figs. 2 and 3 show slight modificationsthereof. Figs. 4., 5, 6, and 7 illustrate methods of supporting orsuspending the table or desk, which may be adopted when preferred, inorder to diminish or remove the Weight of the table or desk from thewrist or arm and to assist in supporting the same.

The form of the tableor desk to may be varied to suit circumstances; butI prefer to make it somewhat in the form of a spade with a short handle,as shown on the drawings.

The handle I) of the table or desk is to be attached or connected to thearm or wrist (or both) of the user by means of straps c, Fig. 1, or byindia-rubber band or bands (1, Fig. 2, or other suitable device, or itmay be simply passed up the sleeve of the user, which (if the sleeve isnot too loose) will afford a' sufficient connection (without straps orbands) between the arms of the user and the table or desk. The handle I)may also be fastened to the arm by a cord 0*, provided with a series ofknots a, (see Fig. 5,) one of which is caught beneath the slit or notchb cut in the handlel), and thus the cord will formloops of varioussizes.

In some casesl propose to have a rest epivoted to the handle 1), asshown at Fig. 3, or in place thereof a rest for the hand or wrist may bearranged so as to slide to and fro in a transverse slot in the part a.The blade at in all cases-projects underneath the hand and forms a smalltable or desk'for writing or drawing upon.

If an additional support is required, so as to take the weight of thetable or desk off the wrist or arm, the desk may be provided with a propf, fixed underneath, as shown at Fig. 4:, so as torest against theground or upon the seat or any other suitable projection; or, instead ofa prop beneath, the desk may be hung from any convenient fixed part ofthe carriage or conveyance above the user, (such, for example, as theparcel-rack of a railway-carriage,) either by a single sling k (elasticor otherwise) and hook ta or its equivalent, as shown at Fig. 5, or by adouble sling 7o :3 and hook It or its equivalent, (see Fig. 6,) in whichlatter case the arm may pass between the two cords of the rearmost slingso as to assist in steadying the desk; or it may be suspended from theneck or shoulders by a cord, band, or sling similar to that shown atFig. 5.

The desk or slab a, may be made adjustable to any angle required and maybe provided with a slit in it, as shown at g, through which the paper his allowed to pass, as shown at Fig. 2, or a roll of paper *6 may beattached to the under sideof the slab a (see Fig. 5) or in any otherconvenient position, so that the writer may unroll the paper, which maybe perforated across at suitable distances, as required.

The slab may be provided with a sheet or pad 'm of writing or blottingpaper and with holding-down clips or springs 01, Fig. 6, or anindia-rubber band 71/ (see Fig. 4) or other suitable appliances forkeeping the paper steady. It is evident, also, that an inkstand 0 (seeFig. 3) may, if desired, be fixed upon the apparatus, and various otherrequisites-such as pen-brush, pen-holder, and pencil-clipsmay also beadded. (See, also, Fig. 3.) The slab may also, when supported by a slingor prop, be made sufficiently wide to serve as a rest for both arms ofthe user, in which case it need not be strapped or connected to the armor wrist. (See Fig". 7.) A similar table may also be employed by artistsand others forsketching and other useful purposes.

I claim as my invention- 1. A travelers portable writing-tableconsisting of a slab adapted to be connected to the arm or wrist of theuser, whereby the vibration or motion of a carriage or conveyance may becommunicated equally, or nearly so, both to the arms and hand of theuser and also to the table itself, substantially as described.

2. A travelers portable writing-table consisting of a slab with a handlepart adapted to be passed up the sleeve of the user, so as to connect itto his arm,- the outer end of the slab being of suitable size and shapeto support the hand of the user and the paper to be written on,substantially as described.

3. A portable writing-table consisting of a slab provided withfastenin'gs. to attach it to the arm or wrist ofthe user,.substantiallyas described.

4. A portable writing-table consisting of a slab adapted to be connectedto the arm or wrist of the. user and,.having a supportingprop beneath,substantially as described.

5. A portable Writing-table consisting of a slab adapted to be connectedto the arm or wrist of the user and having a suspending sling or slings,substantially as set forth. 6. A traveler's .portablewriting-tableconsisting of a slab provided with a suspending device adapted tosuspend the slab from any convenient fixture in a carriage orconveyance, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

' FRED. O. LYN DE.

"Witnesses:

GEORGE DAVIES, CHARLES A. DAVIES.

